Two months ago we ran an apparently popular tip on Creating Quick Voiceovers in GarageBand 3. We’ve received a lot of questions since then about the best microphone to use for a simple voiceover.

We can’t quite declare a “best microphone.” But if you are looking for an inexpensive way to record video tutorials, GarageBand voiceovers, or your own podcasts, here is our recommendation: Go with one of the Plantronics DSP headsets with a USB connection. These provide good voice recording, and are quite affordable. They plug right into your computer’s USB port. Easy.

Two models we’ve used in our QuickTIme video tutorials:

Plantronics DSP-400 USB Headset [$35].
Plantronics DSP-500 USB Headset [$45].

The DSP-400 folds down for easy portability while the DSP-500 is a bit more substantial (the DSP-500 is apparently the mic of choice for at least one large video tutorial company).

Want to hear for yourself? We’ve got sound samples on the blog version of this tip for 6 different microphone options.